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Building a Winter Wardrobe in an All Summer Country

Instead of doing the usual (season) favorites, today I’m going to teach you how to build a winter wardrobe if you live in an all summer place. Obviously the clothes are for when you’re going overseas to a winter place and not for wearing it in your country. I live in Singapore which is 30 degrees all year but I do go to winter countries often and after years and years of wearing unfashionable winter wear I have finally built a winter wardrobe which can last for at least a week.

Wait before you exit the page thinking, ‘oh yeah no it’s gonna take a lot of money to-‘

shh. No it won’t.

1. Color

Now the key factor to building your winter wardrobe is the color palette of your items. By having all your items in a specific color palette, you can mix and match your tops and bottoms easily, creating numerous outfits for the trip. My winter color palette covers the most versatile colors- white, grey, black and blue. It doesn’t have to be these four colors; just whatever suits your style. Once you’ve got like the base colors, you can throw in a few items of a different color to add more interests in your outfits. Like occasionally I like to add in a red scarf or a pair of green chinos and it still goes well.

2. Type

I’d suggest getting all the basics- a basic long sleeve, basic hoodie, basic outerwear. BASIC everything. The second fundamental of building a complete full proof winter wardrobe is to have minimal designs. Like don’t you think having a neon orange jacket with a big embroided tiger on it is quite unforgettable. Also basic tees will never go out of trend so you’ll never have the need to replace it for something new. This also works for building your wardrobe in general when having a low budget.

3. Layering

Besides colors, layering on your clothing can also help create different outfits. I feel like the stereotypical outfit of a tourist in a winter country is the bulky north face/uniqlo kind of jacket. And tourists generally wear that throughout the holiday. It’s not that it’s ugly or anything I mean I do wear it when it’s freezing. But forget about taking ootds if that’s the only outfit you’re planning to wear.

Honestly I love going to winter countries because of this. You can wear a hoodie under a denim jacket, or even a blazer if you want to dress it up a bit. Or even a button down with a cardigan and long cloak on the outside. Y’all can go to pinterest for any outfit ideas if you’re interested.

4. Accessories

Now what accessories should you get? I’d say a scarf, a beanie and a pair of gloves only for when you’re freezing. When I was younger I hated wearing scarfs because I thought it made me look girly and a pussy for being afraid of the cold. I’m really glad that mindset is out of my head because having a scarf is the ultimate gamechanger. There are dozens of ways to wear a scarf but I’ll just show you the three ways I wear it. I bought this navy blue scarf from Burtons Menwear for about $20 (purchasable from Zalora). It’s quality is really good but most importantly, it’s really versatile and matches with all my outfits.

I got a long beanie (from Zalora as well) or whatever it’s called because it has that lazy vibe which I really like. And of course I bought the grey one. I wear it whenever I don’t feel like styling my hair, which happens quite frequently especially towards the end of the trip.

5) Shoes

I recommend spending more money on just a pair of shoes which is waterproof, able to keep your feet warm and looks good. You can get a chukka boots or chelsea boots which can be worn casually and for a more dressed up look. I would get the chukka boots but I’m cheap so I’m stuck with this pair of highcut sneakers from Vans (which looks good too!!). I don’t usually go to super cold countries but if you do I’d recommend getting something bulkier to protect your feet from the cold.

Now that I think about it I should’ve posted this at the start of winter instead of the end… but it’s okay!! Now you have a whole year of shopping to get ready for your next winter holiday.

About Me

I enjoy photography, travelling, shopping and eating so you’re probably gonna see a lot of those here. And when I’m not doing those I’m either struggling to finish my school’s assessments or strumming my guitar.